‘The Merchant’s Tale’ Literary Context
Evidence Contextual Link
Courtly love is a highly conventionalised medieval tradition of love between a
knight and a married noblewoman. The love of the knight for his lady was
regarded as an enabling passion and the relationship was typically
unconsummated. Key ideas include:
• Medieval code of honour – class system, position
Courtly Love, • Upper classes – royalty, aristocrats
Damyan, and May • Unrequited love – when Damyan seen May initially
• Male love suffering – through poetry, Damyan initially suffers
• Untouchable beloved - sets impossible tasks for lover to complete
• Concept of conquest
‘The Merchant’s Tale’ is both influenced and critical of the tradition. Chaucer
mocks several concepts within his tales
The garden is central to the tale and highly connected to contemporary
concepts. The ‘hortus conclusus’ (enclosed garden) was a walled garden with a
The garden
fountain at the centre, flowers, tress, and highly constructed. It was a symbol
of social status and a man’s wealth
The love garden is central to courtly romance. ‘Roman de la Rose; by
Guillaume de Loris tells the story of a lover on a quest for Rose – the lover is
tutored on courtly love within the garden. The first half of the poem is a dream
Misogyny and the
vision of love, with the second depicting the love plucking the rose of female
Garden
sexuality, forming a satirical attack on women. This story highlights sexual
violence, fecundity, and virility. This is similar to Chaucer (garden, sexual
perversion), but presents love versus lust
On another hand, Boccaccio’s ‘Teseide’ (source for ‘The Knight’s Tale’) –
Venus and Cupid make an appearance in this garden. The work conveys the
Love and the garden
authentic spirit of the courtly love vision, again contrasting the mockery of
‘The Merchant’s Tale’
A tree-tryst is a private, romantic rendezvous between lovers that can be traced
to a variety of sources – oral and written:
Damyan and May’s
consummation in the
• A version known as ‘The Enchanted Pear Tree’ known to Chaucer
tree
• A more daring parallel – ‘The Cherry Tree Carol’ where the husband
Joseph has to satisfy the longing of Mary for cherries
19
Evidence Contextual Link
Courtly love is a highly conventionalised medieval tradition of love between a
knight and a married noblewoman. The love of the knight for his lady was
regarded as an enabling passion and the relationship was typically
unconsummated. Key ideas include:
• Medieval code of honour – class system, position
Courtly Love, • Upper classes – royalty, aristocrats
Damyan, and May • Unrequited love – when Damyan seen May initially
• Male love suffering – through poetry, Damyan initially suffers
• Untouchable beloved - sets impossible tasks for lover to complete
• Concept of conquest
‘The Merchant’s Tale’ is both influenced and critical of the tradition. Chaucer
mocks several concepts within his tales
The garden is central to the tale and highly connected to contemporary
concepts. The ‘hortus conclusus’ (enclosed garden) was a walled garden with a
The garden
fountain at the centre, flowers, tress, and highly constructed. It was a symbol
of social status and a man’s wealth
The love garden is central to courtly romance. ‘Roman de la Rose; by
Guillaume de Loris tells the story of a lover on a quest for Rose – the lover is
tutored on courtly love within the garden. The first half of the poem is a dream
Misogyny and the
vision of love, with the second depicting the love plucking the rose of female
Garden
sexuality, forming a satirical attack on women. This story highlights sexual
violence, fecundity, and virility. This is similar to Chaucer (garden, sexual
perversion), but presents love versus lust
On another hand, Boccaccio’s ‘Teseide’ (source for ‘The Knight’s Tale’) –
Venus and Cupid make an appearance in this garden. The work conveys the
Love and the garden
authentic spirit of the courtly love vision, again contrasting the mockery of
‘The Merchant’s Tale’
A tree-tryst is a private, romantic rendezvous between lovers that can be traced
to a variety of sources – oral and written:
Damyan and May’s
consummation in the
• A version known as ‘The Enchanted Pear Tree’ known to Chaucer
tree
• A more daring parallel – ‘The Cherry Tree Carol’ where the husband
Joseph has to satisfy the longing of Mary for cherries
19
